Hawaii Tourism: September spending drops to $1.41 billion after twin storms

The Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reported that total visitor spending in September declined 9% to $1.41 billion, down from approximately $1.55 billion in the same month of 2025. Preliminary data from the agency shows that total arrivals fell 3.6% to 672,990 visitors during the period.

Hurricane Lowell, which passed near the islands in early September, caused flight disruptions, port closures, and heavy damage. Weeks later, outer rainbands from Hurricane Nolo arrived. Jennifer Chun, the department's director of tourism research, noted that visitor numbers dropped across all major markets, including the U.S. West, U.S. East, Japan, and Canada.

Visitors who traveled to the islands spent an average of $283 per day, a 5.4% increase from the previous year. However, the average length of stay decreased from 8.25 days in 2025 to 7.39 days in 2026. Sheryl Matsuoka, CEO of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, stated that dining establishments are experiencing sales plunges of 20% to 30%, figures comparable to lows seen during the pandemic.

Matsuoka described a trickle-down effect where reduced restaurant sales led to decreased orders from farmers, suppliers, and distributors. She also reported that worker hours at smaller establishments have been cut from 40 to approximately 30 per week.

Kauai suffered the most severe impact from the weather systems. After Hurricane Lowell closed Nawiliwili Harbor and disrupted air travel, visitor arrivals on the island dropped 35% to 60,224. Visitor spending on Kauai fell 44.3% to $105.4 million.

The state is administering emergency relief through the Small Business Recovery Grant Program, managed by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. The program offers grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 to storm-impacted small businesses and nonprofits. Chun added that inflation and rising airfares are reducing household travel budgets before arrival, though she said continued visitor interest remains encouraging.

Year-to-date visitor spending for the first nine months of 2026 reached $16.62 billion, a 2.8% increase over the same period in 2025.